Ireland must clear first hurdle

UNDER 20s:DRESS IT up any way you like but this is a poor Irish under-20s team. Proof is in the Six Nations results, only beating Italy and Scotland at home, while they struggled with the physicality of Australia and especially South Africa during last year's Under-19 World Cup in Belfast.

Granted, there has been 12 changes from the 31-5 defeat to the Baby 'Boks with only captain Paul Ryan, fellow flanker Kieran Essex and Eoin O'Malley retained (Jason Harris-Wright and Niall Morris came off the bench). The group have at least evolved as rugby specimens after 12 months in the provincial academies and several under-20 camps.

Still, just a handful can command starting places at club level and only O'Malley has made any impact in the professional ranks. Several eye-catching performances during the Six Nations saw him make the Leinster bench.

Contrasting this with New Zealand's Super 14 starters and England's Premiership regulars makes for grim reading. Coach Eric Elwood must also plan without former Clongowes schoolboy David Kearney due to illness. This is offset by the return of Blackrock's promising fullback Niall Morris from a fractured ankle.

Anything short of victory tonight and Ireland's interests in this competition are shot, as are the chances of retaining a place amongst the top-ranked countries. They are currently eighth seeds.

What's coming is familiar. A powerful, intimidating Argentina pack, allied to plenty of natural ability out wide, but they should fall way short of the organisational skills of the Irish coaching ticket of Elwood, Dan McFarland and manager Phil Orr.

The Junior Pumas are playing for their rugby future with a home-based squad, mainly Buenos Aries, looking to impress the agents/scouts and are expected to adopt an expansive pattern.

Such an approach will benefit the Irish whose pack must be classed as honest yet lightweight. Harris-Wright and Essex will carry ball effectively, Trinity outhalf Martin Dufficy is competent while O'Malley has the ability to tear open a defensive line with a moment of inspiration.

IRELAND: N Morris (Blackrock College/Leinster); S Scanlon (UCC/Munster), E O'Malley (Old Belvedere/Leinster), C Cleary (Greystones/Leinster), C Cochrane (QUB/Ulster); M Dufficy (Dublin University/Leinster), D Moore (Blackrock College/Leinster); P Karayiannis (QUB/Ulster), J Harris-Wright (Greystones/Leinster), B Barclay (UCD/Leinster); J Sandford (QUB/Ulster), E Sheriff (Lansdowne/Leinster); K Essex (UL Bohemian/Munster), P Ryan (capt, Blackrock College/Leinster), P Mallon (Lansdowne/Leinster). Replacements: S Douglas (Ballymena/Ulster), S Archer (UCC/Munster), I Nagle (UCC/Munster), M Entwistle (Ballymena/Ulster), I Porter (QUB/Ulster), I Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), E Sheridan (Lansdowne/Leinster).